This invention relates to the provision of a rapidly adjustable tool and to the provision of a new and improved clutch construction particularly suited for, but not limited to, use in such a tool.
A variety of tools, generally of the hand-held variety, utilize rotary threaded actuators for causing relative movement between two or more work engaging surfaces to adjust the tool to varying sizes of work pieces and/or apply clamping force to a work piece. Typical of such tools are so-called "monkey wrenches" wherein a worm is rotated to advance one of the wrench jaws with respect to the other; clamping pliers-like tools, such as that marketed under the trademark VISEGRIP.RTM., wherein the travel of clamping jaws is set by the axial position of a rotary threaded member, a variety of clamps wherein one or more surfaces is advanced towards another surface through rotation of a threaded member; tube cutters wherein a rotatable circular blade is advanced towards tube engaging rollers by rotation of a threaded member; and the like. Numerous other examples will occur to those skilled in the art.
Common to each such tool is the movement of one work engaging surface toward or away from another for the purpose of adjusting the relative position of the surfaces to accommodate differing sizes of work pieces as, for example, differing sizes of bolt heads or nuts or for the combined purpose of adjusting the relative positions of the surfaces to accommodate varying sizes of work pieces and for thereafter and/or simultaneously applying a clamping force as in the case of clamps or tube cutters.
Typically, the rate of axial advancement or retraction of one surface relative the other is quite slow due to the fact that it is obtained through rotation of a threaded member. When adjusting the tool from a relatively small work piece to a relatively large work piece, or vice versa, considerable time may be expended in achieving sufficient axial advancement or retraction to fit the new work piece.